


Sweater Paws

by Pandagirl23



Series: Enass-AU [14]
Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bucky Barnes Recovering, Bucky Barnes is Awkward, Bucky Barnes is getting a crush, Clint is kinda of a dick, Cute Tony Stark, M/M, Maria Stark is not Tony's mom, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Pre-Bucky Barnes/Tony Stark, Pre-Relationship, Pre-Slash, Protective Bucky Barnes, Protective FRIDAY, Protective Vision, Protective Vision (Marvel), Tony Stark Still Has Arc Reactor, Tony Stark is Awkward, Tony Stark is tiny, salty tony Stark, soft tony stark, sweater paws
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2020-12-28
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:15:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28389147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pandagirl23/pseuds/Pandagirl23
Summary: After moving into the Manor, settling down one Bucky Barnes been staying close to the shadows and corners of the home. Away from everyone but until one day he sees the owner of the manor, in sweater paws. Several times.Safe to say He melts every single time.
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Series: Enass-AU [14]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2017507
Comments: 4
Kudos: 102





	Sweater Paws

**Author's Note:**

> Do I want a sweater paw Anthony Edward Stark? Yes? Did anyone ask for this? No. 
> 
> Do I want a flustered, awkward recovering James Barnes that can kill people still? Yes. SO much Yes. Does he like kittens and Tony? Kittens Yes. Tony... he is confused but he likes the warmth and dangerous personality that is Anthony. Will James give everyone weird nicknames and designations? Yes. 
> 
> Will Clint get freaked out after Tony flexes on him? Yes, maybe. Did I want this to be fluffy with strong urges of awkward boys? Yes.
> 
> James will be referred to by Bucky as a weird type of coping and remembrance thing. He will also have many disjointed thought processes when it comes to Tony and others. He is like a fun hybrid of Brooklyn and Winter Soldier. 
> 
> Similar to my research for dinners and food from Sicily and Libyan, I tried accurate or close to accurate names said in the languages. I apologize for not using Antoshaka (I think I butchered that)

Bucky (James, Snow, Winter Wonderland, Red October, Winter, Snowflake, etc.) Barnes has been stalking the shadows and darkest parts of the manor. If he can get away with it, he can manage to avoid every single resident in the household. He avoids the witch, Rogers (Stevie, twig, little shit, pig-headed best friend, the legend, a leader, etc.), Sam Asshole Wilson, Natalie, and the bird with good eyes. He avoids them with the efficiency of how he avoided them all before.

James figured out how he was found, it was with the help of the owner of the Manor. Pretty golden doe eyes, Anthony Edward Stark. Threat higher than Steve if pushed to the edge. Risk-taker. Care provider, mentor, and parent to many baby Ais and robots. A Daw. Italian, Libyan, and American. Fighter. That small male was avoiding them all.

Barnes recalls about 4 months back, the cold rage from the mechanic. The press of despised hate for the 5 as he explains flippantly about his heritage. Leaving grains. Barely enough to feed a mouse. Barely enough for an ant. He explained exactly what was in the folder. Explained about his childhood with an asshat of a father, a mother who tried, and some other underlying things that went on socially between the billionaire’s family. No, he didn’t give the team the answers they so wanted. Only a confirmation that Maria Stark was not his mother and his father was racist or at least colorist. (He looked up the word). Then before the team can crowd in on him, James Rhodey Rhodes, War Machine, walking with Stark Tech, came in like a mother bear protecting her cub. Angered, swift, and cutthroat.

Barnes was not sure if they were hinting or suggesting that Anthony could not work on the team or was ill-equip but it was good enough to keep all of them silent.

He was quiet but he was even quieter, when the man who is full of hot burning passionate anger… forgave, something in him ticked up. Barnes was not sure if it was because of the way he called him Snow. He liked most nicknames because they suggested to his past (yes Steve, everything he has done pre-Winter, present, and post-Winter Soldier including) or him as a person. His aloofness, quiet disposition, and colder than hell responses to the team have taken note from everyone.

When he does go into maintenance checks Anthony, Stark, does it himself grumbling something about idiots in the government would try to scrape off your arm for analysis. So it was there in frigid heat, dry ice, burning cold metal, that the hushed rambling man gave him nicknames. It was never friendly-sounding but it also never sounded so… hostile or numb. He counts it as a timid win.

All of that, pushed Bucky, he hates calling himself that but it reminds him of his past, to do research. Study on the honey-brown eyes that radiate summer till he can get everything he can.

He hated what the online resources had on him. Suicide attempt via overdose, broken bones from reckless behavior, strained on the marriage, Italian, prodigy child, at 4 years old built a full engine, and it works too. Orphaned at 17, he knew this… he caused that. Then Post murder of parents (Father and Aunt), began the start of the hero known as Iron Man. Even then, bare-bones information on Afghanistan, Stane, Ultron, Alien Invasion. He saw the evaluation, Natalie showed to him as the insistence of Steve. He has to say, a lot of that was a lie. Yet, comparing the dates, it was around the year that Potts and Rhodes got CEO and War Machine respectively. So it must have been a stressful time that he was going through.

James did all this research and studying until an email from FRIDAY popped up. He was not sure how he felt about the AI but he knew the AI did not like any of them. Again, he and Steve almost killed her creator (father). Vision barely visited, despite Wanda whining. Yet here, is FRIDAY emailing him and along with a sentence from Vision as well.

From the email, he scoped that the Internet will not yield anything about their father. That is something important leaked, they would erase it so his search is futile. Anything new he knows was what the man told him and the team. And not willingly. Forcing his mouth to speak on things that are only meant for his people.

After that, he gave up on learning about the man more and make assumptions that are accurate at best. These are what he learned taking away hateful comments. He can speak close to 10 plus languages, regain the arc reactor, he has many tics that points to trauma, anxiety, and panic attacks. He is not comfortable around the others. Constantly a cold wall keeping the warmth from his body and eyes. He graceful. Light on his feet, almost like a dancer. Barnes is sure the “playboy” can play instruments, which kind? He is not sure. If the sharp shooter’s eyes can see, his hair has a healthy mix of reds, browns, and blacks. Curls making their way through at the base of his head and behind his ears. He has something new, made him younger looking but with something… dangerous.

Shaking out his head, the Winter Soldier rubbed his face as he made his way down a hallway from the instrumental room. He was not in there for the DNA scanner set to it.

Getting closer to the sitting room, he felt his brain register that the mop of curls was seen lounging on the couch. From this angle, the youngest Stark was not able to see him. What kept the sniper from moving away to another room of the house was because one, like himself he thought everyone left for the day, and two… the sweater was several sizes too big for him. From what he can tell, the clothing piece swamped him. Yet, he watched with enraptured eyes as Anthony (Anton ) shook a hand free to reach a cup of coffee. From where he is standing, he can smell the unique blend of it. Barnes listened to the man sip as another hand seems to be moving almost too quickly for the ex-fist of HYDRA to keep up.

When the bright man put the cup down, very simple with a War Machine image on it, then those sleeves covered the hand. It was cute. It made Barnes realize how small the bigger than life male was. It just added to the terrifying realization, that this man is cute and deadly.

Taking in a swallow to wet his throat, he then got the sight of the bigger than hell blanket covering Stark's legs, causing him to look more dwarf in size. Then a brown furry thing nestled between the man and couch. No, he won’t get jealous of a fucking toy. No.

Almost as if something was warning him, Barnes swiftly hid back into the shadows, staying quiet. The door was being pounded on as the full-grown genius of a man scampered (SCAMPERED!) to the door. The bright-eyed male really thought he was alone, and James was dying on the inside. Quickly leaving further into the area of the Manor where his room located, southwest side of the Manor. James felt his face flush and heartbeat rapidly.

No one had a right to be that cute.

Later that night, he tried to ask Sam and Steve… about what was the thing called that Stark had on. He didn’t mention Stark pre-say but the less they know the better. He had to show them literally after describing it was not getting through. Steve shrugged not sure and Sam laughed quietly saying it is called sweater paws.

Sweater Paws. This led to another research binge, he saw a lot of variations, people small swimming in their sweaters, people posing cutely in large overgrown sweaters, but to him the cutest is still the mechanic. If FRIDAY sent him a weird looping video of a person laughing and another showing a cat in a sweater, so be it. This also leads him to realize without the tailor suits and baggy sweater with blanket… the man looks thin.

He knows in the back of his mind, a memory played jaggedly about taking care of a smaller and weaker version of Steve. Not quite weaker but scrawny. A little weak, easily sick, actually he had a lot wrong with him. With that memory sitting at the very forefront he got to work with making small sandwich offerings. Out of those times… he got caught twice leaving food outside the inventor’s lab. Once by Rhodey… he ran, yes he could have killed him but still it is the sweater paws wearing man closest person. The second person to catch him was actually the little robot that comes often with its creator. The robot noise was heard through the thick glass wall. Bucky for all his coordinated glory fumbled and ran. After that, he took to scheduling the sandwich leaving at times he knew the genius was working.

James doesn’t care if he so much eats no more than a bite, as long as he getting something. This brought another message from FRIDAY and Vision.

Both thanked them in strange flashing thank yous and a written reply of thank you for feeding him. This he also learned about his favorite fruit but the particular furit is never store-bought but he knows that Anthony has a personal stash nearby along with heavy smoothies. He knows this also because a simple coded phrase when deciphered says

I have some, thanks -A.S.

It was only two weeks later after about a week of food offerings and learning store-bought blueberries were a no-go was when he spotted another sweater paw wearing Anthony Stark.

The ghost story stopped in mid-stride during his nightly ritual of walking the perimeter of the home at 3:47 am, in the dead of night, everyone asleep but him and a barely dressed Anthony.

He let his gaze drift over the sweater glory that draped the body. It was nice to see some weight put on but… the sweater barely made it to mid-thigh. Barefoot and sleeves hanging past one hand while another searched sleepily for something. See, he would go in and help him. That was not viable on the knowledge that… they weren’t at that level. They spoke 3 words to each other at most during the maintenance. He gave the hint that he likes science and the future… but saying I like your lab may not get the whole feeling across.

Still, he could have offered but he watches feeling his heart speed up when the man got on his very tiptoes reaching with both hands. Sleeves lazily looping around the upper arms. Sweater revealing black banded light grey boxer shorts.

Witnessing this, James turned with precision and strutted all the way to his room. Closed the door with a tad too much force, climbed back into bed, and then screamed internally. A metal hand lifted away with cotton stuffing and bed fabric.

Pouring all his surprising amount of pent frustration and emotions into a staredown with the ceiling, his mind tic off the things he can be doing. Gun cleaning, doing the advice the therapist said (requirement after signing the paperwork), or looking up kittens standing on their hind legs. He went with option 3. Looking at sweater dressed kitten standing on their hind legs. Anything to get rid of a sweater paw image of Stark. Sleepily pawing, no pun intended, for a mug? He was sure it was a mug. Shit… shit… shit.

That man should not be this cute! He was going to die and come back and strangle Steve. Steve is insisting on talking to Anthony further about his familial ties and what really happened. Bucky can state the simple fact that this house is not his favorite location. His father was not his favorite parent. God damn it, Steve. Either Steve is going to kill his brain cells or Stark is going to fry his brain.

Another three weeks passed when he got a chance at seeing sweater paws wearing Anthony. Apparently, the sweater, MIT seeing the front, was needing a wash and the man excitedly put it on when he thought no one was really around. Not that James is trying to find him on purpose! He just happens to run across Anthony’s trajectory way too frequently. Unfortunately, he was not alone as he was walking with the bird. God damn it all to the deepest parts of Hell. Clint… bird eyes opened his fucking yap.

“Stark, I didn’t know you kept your ex’s sweater.” The man chuckled to himself, “Trying to keep the feeling alive? I can ensure I know a place you can find a quickie, I am sure people won’t smell desperate beyond your money.”

Bucky wanted to deck Barton but he also wanted to see what Anthony says. Consciously he created a wide berth between him and the archer. Hoping it signifies that he is not on the same train of thought as Barton. Actually his thoughts are Anthony looking cutely tiny. With so much fury, so much anger, and danger. His therapist says that is not good to focus on those types of things. Cats are tiny and big but dangerous with so much anger! Blinking himself back though he saw the look.

The look that the smart man was gearing up to strike Barton down or prove him wrong. God he hopes that is not a sweater from an ex though.

“Actually, Barton,” the amount of venom curling around the name itself sent a surprising shiver up James’s spine. “This sweater is from my days in MIT. Rhodey, you know the guy you so callously used as an battering ram against me? Yeah fuck you for that too. Gave this,” He shows off one sleeve covered hand to gesture, “to me after for Christmas before returning an empty house. Boo-hoo, rich kid issues. Right Barton come up with something new. Unlike you, I won’t stoop to your petty ass level. Take a fucking hike dickhead.”

Barton glared back at him balling his fist, “Yeah? You won’t? Like not making us weapons or even help with funding? Are you that fucking selfish and spiteful? The world needs us at the best but you do upgrades on your “gum drop” and the spider dude but not for us?” He scowled at the rich man, “That is fucking callous.”

Bucky swallowed back the urge to punch Barton’s lights as the billionaire puffed up, unlike a house cat but like a lion.

“You don’t deserve my help. I don’t need your approval to feel like I belong. I don’t need you or any one else in this fucking house. You signed, I and RHODEY, got the pardons and amended the ACCORDS with T’Challa and his mother. I wasted almost a year of my fucking life fixing shit so you and the other stealing dumbasses can come home.” He scoffed getting ready for another round of venom, “You can, I know you saw the news, that is why you bringing up Rhodey, insult me. I swear to all hell and gods, I will fucking rip you a new one that you wished you stayed in retirement. Got out of retirement to suck the good captain’s dick. Still friends with him even though I got,” He tapped to the glowing bit. Bucky knows what it is and how… it got back in, “this back, so you wanna call me selfish I will call you a fucking liar. Like the rest of them.” The fact that James bit his lip seeing how close Anthony was to punching Barton, made feel warm. He is not violent just interested. Seeing Barton losing and gaining steam as he looked into the… glowing blue eyes… fuck, “Didn’t read that in my file.” All took was a lifted hand and the archer sped off with a barely-there flinch.

When the instigator left, Bucky saw the strings holding the man up cut and everything in his person was tired, scared and done. Looking at him more, he saw a sleeve cover hand rub at his face, finger barely peeking out. Then honey brown met steel grey, and James wanted to apologize for not stop the archer or even punching his lights out. The damnest thing happened, a smile, a weak one but a smile from the genius pointed at him.

“Snowflake? You good there?”

A nod.

“Good, good. Sorry. I never really thank you for those sandwiches. I know… I have been… you know cold.”

“I am used to the cold.” Barnes quickly replied but blinked realizing what that implies. Sighing internally he heard a puff of laughter, “I mean…”

“You get it.”

“Yeah… I get it.”

Anthony smiled more even though there was tension around his eyes, trying to read the situation. “Listen… I am not… comfortable. I forgive you. You were brainwashed. I just… I don’t trust…”

“I get it.” The Winter Soldier repeated again. He really did get it. The cold fissures running among liquid magma. The cold winds that met with hot sunny heat. He got it when it was directed to the team. He got it as much as he got that the sweater that swamped the man was a form of comfort and safety.

Trust was broken too many times for this man. Barnes was apart of that last big form of broken trust.

“Right… if… you… are up late and we cross paths again… we can I don’t know talk… things out more.” With that the smaller male began to hurry away.

James blinked then quickly, “Thank you… for… helping me… with...” He waved his left arm a little. “You… didn’t have to… but I am thankful.” He saw an amusement dance with the nervous energy behind it.

“I blew it off. It is the least I can do, I mean Shuri souped it up, it is more her than me… and… ah…” One arm of the Stark’s wrapped around himself letting out a 3 tap rhythm. The other hidden delightfully in the sweater paw. “If… you need anything after… Rogers need for more talking… just… ask FRIDAY or VITO.” With a heavy breath and shuffling, the genius made his swift and to soon departure.

Through all that, Barnes barely caught sweat pants that hugged the retreat legs and bucky… bear… themed socks of Anthony Stark. He was not going to survive. He was going to die or… murder someone. Maybe Wilson.

Goddamn it Steve.


End file.
